SOC 29-1127 · Ames, IA metro

Speech-Language Pathologists Salary in Ames, IA

The average salary for speech-language pathologists in Ames, Iowa is $82,250 a year ($39.54 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $83,170: half of the 60 people in this job in the Ames, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

$82,250average per year

$39.54 / hourMedian $83,170Take-home ≈ $64,179

  • $63K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $94K75th
  • $108K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
-17%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Speech-Language Pathologists pay range in Ames

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,740 a year or less, while the top 10% make $108,360 or more. The middle half of speech-language pathologists in Ames earn between $63,960 and $93,600.

  • $63K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $83KMedian
  • $94K75th
  • $108K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$82,250$6,854$39.54
Median$83,170$6,931$39.99
Entry level (25th percentile)$63,960$5,330$30.75
Experienced (75th percentile)$93,600$7,800$45.00

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Speech-Language Pathologists salary after taxes in Ames

On the average salary of $82,250, a single filer in Ames takes home about $64,179 a year, or $5,348 a month and $2,468 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

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Is Ames a good place for speech-language pathologists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Ames area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.8), so the average $82,250 buys what about $92,593 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Ames ($50,220). A typical home costs $280,269, or 3.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $82,250 is worth in another city

Speech-Language Pathologists salary in other Iowa cities

Ames ranks 5th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($88,630).

All Speech-Language Pathologists salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for speech-language pathologists

El Centro, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($139,700).

Speech-Language Pathologists salary by city

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Speech-Language Pathologists salary in Ames: questions

How much do speech-language pathologists make an hour in Ames?

$39.54 an hour on average, and $39.99 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level speech-language pathologists salary in Ames?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,740 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,960, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the speech-language pathologists take-home pay in Ames?

About $64,179 a year ($5,348 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $82,250. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do speech-language pathologists earn more in Ames than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($99,493).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-1127; area Ames, IA (11180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.